Metro Gainesville continues to have the lowest unemployment rate in the state despite rising one-tenth of a percentage point to 4.2 percent in December, according to the Georgia Department of Labor. And the steady local economy is the biggest reason that Gainesville was named the 10th best small city for jobs and income growth in 2016 by the Milken Institute. “The long-term trend for the Gainesville-Hall County metro area continues to reflect both low unemployment … and steady growth of participants in the workforce,” said Tim Evans, vice president of economic development at the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce.